OPP leadership must be free of politicial suspicion

[Michael Jack]

After 51 years as a Toronto cop, Supt. Ron Taverner cleaned out his 23 Division office Friday preparing for the “exciting” move to Orillia where he’s scheduled to start as OPP commissioner Monday.

However, robust opposition forces are hard at work trying to delay, and even stop, him from moving into his new role.

What should have been a special day for the 72-year-old copper, turned out to be one of unknowns.

The unclear nature of his future may continue up until the 8 a.m. Monday when he’s supposed to report to OPP headquarters.

It’s stemming from OPP Interim Commissioner Brad Blair calling for the province’s Ombudsman to investigate what he feels was a biased hiring process that saw Taverner — a friend of Premier Doug Ford — win the post over himself.

Through lawyer Julian Falconer, Blair is asking for a court to order the Ombudsman to investigate.

“If the Ombudsman does not review the complaint, the independence of the OPP will continue to operate under a cloud of suspicion,” said Blair’s submission.

If a court hears the request Saturday it could put Taverner’s start date in limbo.

The OPP media person originally informed media of a “photo op” for 8 a.m. Monday but is now referring calls to the Ministry Of Community Safety.

Ford, Blair and Taverner were unavailable for comment.

But one policing source said some ministry people are recommending holding back giving Taverner the reins until early next year to allow for a fair process — while keeping Blair on as interim commissioner.

Opposition and NDP leader Andrea Horwath asked Taverner to “do the right thing” and delay the move until a committee can be formed.

However, Toronto Police officers close to Taverner were encouraging their mentor to remain ready to answer the bell Monday.

“The guy cleaned out his desk after 50 years of public service and they are treating him like this,” said one longtime copper. “What a disgrace.”

“This whole thing is nothing but ugly politics and it’s obvious somebody does not want Ron Taverner to ever head the OPP,” the officer added.

In the meantime, a wild card in this mess was a statement from the Ontario Provincial Police Association in reaction to the Toronto’s Sun’s revelation Friday that the RCMP had interviewed current and retired senior OPP officers at the commissioner, deputy commission and superintendent levels over an allegation from a female staffer and superintendent supervisor who is now a chief of police in a Canadian city.

They allege over a period of years she was sexually harassed and stalked by a high-ranking officer.

The OPP acknowledge the Mounties investigation wrapping up in 2017 but say no criminality was found.

“Members of the OPPA have the right to a workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment,” OPPA President Rob Jamieson said in a statement. “When presented with an allegation such as this, OPP management must respond appropriately and ensure that our members have the ability to report issues, without fear of reprisal and with the knowledge that their allegations will be taken seriously.”

The statement added: “While this incident was investigated by the RCMP and no criminality was found, we look forward to being advised of the results of the OPP’s Professional Standards Bureau report on this allegation.”

But there may not be a report to cite.

Speaking on behalf of the OPP, Staff-Sgt. Carolle Dionne said: “If allegations are made involving a commissioner and or deputy (the) Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) will investigate” while lower ranks “are investigated by the Professional Standard’s Bureau. For this particular incident, it was referred to the MAG, so you’d have to follow up with them for status.”

There does not appear to have been a Police Services Act probe into the senior officers alleged to either be involved directly or in covering it up.

Jamieson said that would not happen if it were a constable interviewed by the RCMP — he or she would be internally probed.

OPPA members are expected to talk to new commissioner Taverner about this on Monday — if he is the commissioner.

https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news ... 6f2120b8ed

[Michael Jack]

The appointment of incoming OPP commissioner Ron Taverner has been delayed until the province’s integrity commissioner finishes a review of Premier Doug Ford involvement in the hiring process, CTV News Toronto has learned.

The postponement was requested by Taverner in an email to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones.

“While the government has full confidence in Mr. Taverner, we will respect his request for a delay in his appointment, until such time as the Integrity Commissioner has conducted a review of the selection process,” Jones wrote in a statement.

NDP MPP Kevin Yarde asked the integrity commissioner to investigate Premier Doug Ford and Taverner’s appointment under the Members’ Integrity Act. It is not clear how long the investigation will take.

The appointment has been heavily scrutinized given Ford’s longtime friendship with Taverner, who until Friday was a superintendent with the Toronto Police Service.

Ford previously said he had “zero influence” in Taverner’s appointment.

Last week, Interim OPP Commissioner Brad Blair formally asked Paul Dubé, the province’s ombudsman, to look into the hiring.

In Blair’s letter to the ombudsman, he said there are “growing concerns” from the public and members of the legislature about the process.

The initial job posting required applicants to have served at the rank of deputy police chief or higher or assistant commissioner or higher in a major police service, experience Taverner did not have.

The government later lowered the experience required for the position after the job was posted.

“If the hiring process remains enveloped in questions of political interference, the result will be irreparable damage to police independence in the third largest deployed police service in North America,” Blair wrote in his letter to Dubé.

Blair’s lawyer, Julian Falconer, said on Friday that the watchdog had turned down the request.

Falconer filed an application with the Ontario Divisional Court to force the ombudsman to investigate.

Sources tell CTV News Toronto that cabinet has now decided to relieve Blair from the role of interim commissioner.

Gary Couture, who is currently the deputy commissioner and provincial commander for field operations, is expected to take over the position of interim commissioner until at least the end of March, sources say.

Taverner was originally expected to assume the role of commissioner on Dec. 17.

On Saturday, in a statement to OPP members, and shared with the media, Blair acknowledged his removal.

“I have already had discussions with Deputy Commissioner Couture who assumes command effective Monday, December 17, 2018. I will be fully supportive in assisting his transition,” the statement noted.

“I do not regret a single step I have had to take.”

Blair will return to his post as deputy commissioner of Traffic Safety and Operational Support Commend. Falconer confirmed on Saturday that the court application will proceed.

Speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park on Saturday, NDP MPP Sara Singh said there are still many “unanswered questions” regarding Taverner’s hiring.

“I think that people in this province deserve to have a government that is going to be accountable and that’s going to be transparent. Appointing your friends and your insiders is not I think what people in this province expect of our leadership,” she said.

Singh said in addition to the integrity commissioner’s investigation, the NDP is calling for an emergency select committee to be struck that would include members of the government as well as other members of the legislature.

“I think we need to understand how this was allowed to happen, how rules were changed in order to have somebody appointed to a position. I think these investigations, along with potentially the RCMP’s investigation, will help provide some clarity for us here in the province,” she added.

https://www.cp24.com/news/appointment-o ... -1.4219501

[Michael Jack]

TORONTO -- The Ontario government is delaying the appointment of the man set to become the province's top cop until an investigation into allegations of political interference in the hiring process is complete.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones says the government will respect Ron Taverner's request for a delay in his appointment, which was supposed to take place on Monday.

Instead, acting commissioner Brad Blair will be replaced at the helm of the OPP by Gary Couture, who is currently the force's deputy commissioner.

"I understand the preference for an alternative Interim Commissioner and will co-operate in every respect," Blair said in a statement released on Saturday.

Blair's lawyer, Julian Falconer, said in a conference call with media on Saturday that his client will be "regressed" from his role as interim commissioner on Monday.

On Friday, Blair asked the courts to order Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube to investigate Taverner's hiring, after the ombudsman declined his request to carry out the probe.

Falconer said Saturday that Blair will continue with the legal proceedings.

Taverner, a longtime family friend of Premier Doug Ford, currently commands three divisions within the Toronto Police Service. The 72-year-old did not initially qualify for the role, but the government has said it lowered the requirements for the job to attract a wider range of candidates. Blair, who was among 27 candidates up for the commissioner position, has contended that only four did not meet the original threshold.

However, the Progressive Conservatives have repeatedly denied that the premier's office had anything to do with Taverner's hiring.

Taverner did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the delay, which he requested in an email to Jones that was obtained by The Canadian Press.

"Out of the greatest of respect for the brave men and women of the Ontario Provincial Police, I am requesting my appointment as commissioner be postponed until as such time the integrity commissioner has completed his review," he wrote in the email.

Falconer said he understands how it could look like Blair's push for an investigation is about his "personal agenda" but he said the commissioner is doing it to maintain the reputation and integrity of the OPP.

The Opposition NDP said on Saturday that in addition to the integrity commissioner's investigation, it is calling for an emergency select committee of the legislature to look into the process.

"We are relieved that Mr. Taverner will not be appointed on Monday," said NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh. "However, we are still very concerned. I think this step will allow us to have some integrity and trust maintained within the Ontario police service."

Falconer said he believes a committee of MPPs could also be a beneficial avenue to investigate the possibility of political interference.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/ontario-g ... -1.4219548

[Michael Jack]

Presumptive OPP boss Ron Taverner has put his appointment on hold.

The veteran Toronto cop who was named OPP commissioner by Premier Doug Ford has asked that the decision be delayed until the integrity commissioner conducts a probe into the hiring process.

Taverner requested the delay in an email to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones.

“Out of the greatest of respect for the brave men and women of the Ontario Provincial Police, I am requesting my appointment as Commissioner be postponed until as such time the Integrity Commissioner has completed his review,” he wrote.

Jones issued a statement accepting Taverner’s request.

“While the government has full confidence in Mr. Taverner, we will respect his request for a delay in his appointment, until such time as the Integrity Commissioner has conducted a review of the selection process,” Jones wrote.

Sources also told CTV that the cabinet has decided to relieve interim commissioner Brad Blair of his duties.

Blair has been vocal — and wrote a letter of complaint to the ombudsman — about Taverner’s appointment.

Taverner is a longtime friend of Doug Ford and that has triggered an outcry that the selection process was skewed in his favour.

The premier has claimed he had “zero influence” over the longtime Toronto cop’s appointment.

Taverner’s last day with Toronto Police was Friday after 50 years on the job.

In Blair’s letter to the ombudsman, he claimed there were “growing concerns” from the public and members of the legislature about the process.

The original job posting stated that applicants had to have served at least as a deputy chief to be considered. Taverner was superintendent of the city’s 12, 23 and 31 divisions.

But bureaucrats lowered the experience bar after the posting went up.

“If the hiring process remains enveloped in questions of political interference, the result will be irreparable damage to police independence in the third largest deployed police service in North America,” Blair wrote.

Current OPP deputy commissioner and provincial commander for field operations Gary Couture will take over as interim boss until at least the end of March, sources told CTV.

Taverner had been expected to take up his OPP duties on Monday.

https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news ... 46b96779a1

[Michael Jack]

Ron Taverner rescinded his resignation from Toronto police on Sunday night, and Chief Mark Saunders approved.

The superintendent is now back on the job with Toronto police.

He was supposed to start as OPP Commissioner on Monday morning, but asked for a delay while the Integrity Commissioner investigates his appointment.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones says the government would respect Taverner’s request for a delay.

Instead, acting commissioner Brad Blair will be replaced at the helm of the OPP by Gary Couture, who is currently the force’s deputy commissioner.

“I understand the preference for an alternative Interim Commissioner and will co-operate in every respect,” Blair said in a statement released on Saturday.

Blair’s lawyer, Julian Falconer, said in a conference call with media on Saturday that his client will be “regressed” from his role as interim commissioner on Monday.

On Friday, Blair asked the courts to order Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube to investigate Taverner’s hiring, after the ombudsman declined his request to carry out the probe.

Falconer said Saturday that Blair will continue with the legal proceedings.

Taverner, a longtime family friend of Premier Doug Ford, commanded three divisions within the Toronto Police Service until he resigned on Friday.

The 72-year-old did not initially qualify for the role, but the government has said it lowered the requirements for the job to attract a wider range of candidates. Blair, who was among 27 candidates up for the commissioner position, has contended that only four did not meet the original threshold.

However, the Progressive Conservatives have repeatedly denied that the premier’s office had anything to do with Taverner’s hiring.

Taverner did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the delay, which he requested in an email to Jones.

“Out of the greatest of respect for the brave men and women of the Ontario Provincial Police, I am requesting my appointment as commissioner be postponed until as such time the integrity commissioner has completed his review,” he wrote in the email.

Falconer said he understands how it could look like Blair’s push for an investigation is about his “personal agenda” but he said the commissioner is doing it to maintain the reputation and integrity of the OPP.

Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath said Saturday she welcomed the delay in Taverner’s appointment.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” she said. “We can’t allow the credibility and integrity of the OPP to be put at risk by Mr. Ford.”

The NDP said in addition to the integrity commissioner’s investigation, it is calling for an emergency select committee of the legislature to look into the process.

“We are relieved that Mr. Taverner will not be appointed on Monday,” said NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh. “However, we are still very concerned. I think this step will allow us to have some integrity and trust maintained within the Ontario police service.”

Falconer said he believes a committee of MPPs could also be a beneficial avenue to investigate the possibility of political interference.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2018/12/15/ ... missioner/

[Michael Jack]

The Ontario government said Saturday it will "respect" a request from the incoming OPP commissioner to delay his appointment while the province's integrity commissioner reviews the circumstances of his selection.

Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner, a 51-year veteran of the force and long-time family friend of Premier Doug Ford, was named as the next OPP commissioner last month. He was set to be appointed on Monday.

In his request, which was made via email to Sylvia Jones, minister of community safety and correctional services, Taverner said he made the decision "out of the greatest of respect for the brave men and women of the Ontario Provincial Police."

Jones said in a statement that the government has accepted his decision.

"While the government has full confidence in Mr. Taverner, we will respect his request for a delay in his appointment, until such time as the integrity commissioner has conducted a review of the selection process," Jones said.

Earlier this week, interim OPP Commissioner Brad Blair asked the Ontario ombudsman to investigate Taverner's selection in a scathing letter. The 32-year veteran said the process was marred by "questions of political interference."

Taverner did not initially qualify for the role, but the Ford government has admitted that it lowered the requirements for the job to attract a wider range of candidates.

Of the 27 candidates, Blair — who applied for the job himself — contended only four did not meet the original threshold requirements.

The ombudsman, however, denied Blair's request. Blair has since filed a lawsuit, asking an Ontario court to compel Ombudsman Paul Dubé to carry out a probe. Blair's legal counsel, Julian Falconer, said the ombudsman believes the directive to undertake a probe must come from the premier and his cabinet.

Blair offered to step aside as interim commissioner while a review was completed. On Saturday, it was revealed that OPP Deputy Commissioner Gary Couture would take on the role while the integrity commissioner looks into Taverner's selection.

Couture will take temporary command on Monday, according to Falconer, who laid out some details of the transition in a conference call with reporters on Saturday afternoon.

Blair does 'not regret a single step'

In a statement, Blair said he will be "fully supportive" of Couture, adding that he does "not regret a single step" he has taken in the last week.

"I remain devoted to ensuring that the well-earned reputation of the Ontario Provincial Police remains untarnished. It is this credibility, along with the perceived independence of our service, that puts us in the best possible position to uphold the rule of law," Blair continued.

His lawyer, Falconer, said that despite the developments, Blair would continue with his court case to have the ombudsman launch his own review. Falconer said the powers of the ombudsman's office "far exceed" those of the integrity commissioner, and they will facilitate a "more robust, more independent" report.

"We need the ombudsman to do his job," Falconer said.

Taverner did not respond to a request for comment from CBC News.

Premier denies involvement

For his part, Ford has denied that he tried to influence the selection process.

"We're friends. I'm friends with thousands of people," Ford said last week, noting he was in the cabinet meeting that resulted in the appointment.

As the story has developed further, however, Ford has avoided taking questions from reporters at public events.

In a statement, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the delay suggests that concerns about political interference are "founded.

"We can't allow the credibility and integrity of the OPP to be put at risk by Mr. Ford," Horwath, leader of the province's Official Opposition, continued.

The NDP has called for an non-partisan emergency select committee to conducts its own investigation into the matter.

Similarly, Horwath has asked that the RCMP step in to probe an allegation from Blair that the premier's office asked the OPP to buy a "camper-type" vehicle that would be customized to Ford's specifications. The purchase was to remain "off the books," according to Blair.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.4947969

[Michael Jack]

TORONTO — The Ontario government is delaying the appointment of the man set to become the province’s top cop until an investigation into allegations of political interference in the hiring process is complete.

Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones says the government will respect Ron Taverner’s request for a delay in his appointment, which was supposed to take place on Monday.

Instead, acting commissioner Brad Blair will be replaced at the helm of the OPP by Gary Couture, who is currently the force’s deputy commissioner.

“I understand the preference for an alternative Interim Commissioner and will co-operate in every respect,” Blair said in a statement released on Saturday.

Blair’s lawyer, Julian Falconer, said in a conference call with media on Saturday that his client will be “regressed” from his role as interim commissioner on Monday.

On Friday, Blair asked the courts to order Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube to investigate Taverner’s hiring, after the ombudsman declined his request to carry out the probe.

https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/c ... ppointment

[Michael Jack]

TORONTO — In a case of rejecting a rejection, the acting commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police is suing the province’s ombudsman for refusing to investigate the appointment of the incoming commissioner.

Ron Taverner, a Toronto Police Service superintendent and a close family friend to Premier Doug Ford, was appointed by the government on Nov. 29 to be the next OPP commissioner.

The announcement set off a chain reaction of criticism and questions, peaking on Tuesday with the unprecedented move by acting commissioner Brad Blair to file a complaint with Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé.

In the letter of complaint, Blair warns that allegations of interference from the premier’s office risk “irreparable damage” to the police force’s independence.

The key concerns raised by Blair are that: Taverner has a personal relationship with Ford; the minimum rank requirements for applying to the job were eliminated, and the job posting was changed two days after it first went up; and one of the people on the hiring committee was Taverner’s former boss in Toronto.

On Friday evening, Blair’s lawyer, Julian Falconer, said Dubé had twice refused to investigate the concerns raised. As a result, Blair filed an application at Ontario’s Divisional Court “to determine and enforce the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman to review the OPP Commissioner hiring process.”

“If the Ombudsman does not review the complaint, the independence of the OPP will continue to operate under a cloud of suspicion,” reads the application. “This is a serious matter, as the independence of the OPP — a body that can be called in to investigate provincial politicians — must be seen as legitimate in the eyes of the citizenry.

“As stated in the Ipperwash Inquiry Report, ‘Even though there may not be actual interference by politicians in police operations, the public’s perception of non-interference by the government is a fundamental principle that the Premier, Ministers, and other politicians must adhere to.’ ”

Dubé’s spokeswoman, Linda Williamson, said the ombudsman had no comment on the court case.

In a second letter sent to Attorney General Caroline Mulroney and Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones, Falconer reiterated his client’s call to delay Taverner’s installation set to take effect on Monday.

Falconer cites “increasing public pressure and growing cloud of concern over the OPP Commissioner hiring process” as the reason why his appointment should be delayed.

Spokespeople for Jones and Mulroney did not reply to requests for comment. The premier’s office directed iPolitics to a statement issued by Jones on Wednesday.

In it, Jones categorically denied the allegations levelled by Blair.

“We fully and completely dispute” the letter, reads a statement from Jones. “It is unfortunate that this service has been unfairly maligned by unfounded allegations about the appointment process,” she said.

In his nine-page letter of complaint to Dubé, Blair also warned of a “concerning history” between the premier’s office and the OPP.

For example, he accused Ford’s chief of staff, Dean French, of asking the force to buy a “large camper-type vehicle and have it modified to specifications” provided by the premier’s office, and to keep the purchase “off the books.”

Taverner told the Toronto Sun on Wednesday it was not a camper van, but an extended-size van that would provide more room for Ford and his team to work on the road.

The Sun later changed the story and removed Taverner’s name. However, the Globe and Mail reported his comments in the story before it was removed.

Taverner told the Sun he didn’t know how it would be purchased or modified, but said details of the premier’s security arrangements should not be revealed publicly.

In a teleconference on Friday evening, Falconer told reporters the issues on the table “raise serious questions as to whether there is now a perceived problem with the independence of the OPP.”

There’s also concern that an effort is underway to turn the OPP into a “private police service for a political agenda,” he added.

Falconer said that in all likelihood, it will take a few months for the application to be heard in court. In the meantime, he said Blair is still planning to work with the OPP and “co-operate” in a transition with Taverner as he takes over, and Blair returns to his permanent post as deputy commissioner and provincial commander of traffic safety and operational support.

Blair, who had also applied for the permanent job, has the minimum rank of deputy chief that was first required of all applicants. Taverner sits two ranks below that, but was able to apply for the job once that requirement was eliminated from the job posting.

The premier called Blair’s complaint to the ombudsman “sour grapes,” the Sun is reporting.

Asked about that comment, Falconer said there’s “no doubt” Blair is “disappointed” and that “he was, by almost all accounts, the frontrunner for this job.”

But Falconer noted there was already a “degree of public anxiety and public concern” about Taverner’s appointment before Blair came forward, and his client’s sole mission is to “resolve it.”

He added that coming forward came at “significant personal sacrifice” for Blair.

“This is not a great career boost for him,” Falconer said.

Throughout all the questions about Taverner’s new job, the Toronto Police Service said their superintendent had not yet submitted his resignation letter. That changed late on Friday with the force confirming he’d submitted his resignation today, effective Saturday. Taverner will start as OPP commissioner on Monday.

https://ipolitics.ca/2018/12/14/ombudsm ... missioner/

[Michael Jack]

The current head of Ontario’s provincial police force is going to court in a last-ditch attempt to force a review of how the next commissioner – a friend of Premier Doug Ford – was picked for the job.

Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair, the acting commander of the Ontario Provincial Police, filed a legal application in Superior Court on Friday. The document argues that the Ontario Ombudsman has a duty to review any potential “inappropriate political interference or cronyism” that could have factored into the government’s decision to promote Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner into the role of the province’s top cop.

Earlier this week, Deputy Commissioner Blair made a formal request to the watchdog to review or delay Supt. Taverner’s installation as head of the OPP, but the court application reveals that the Ombudsman’s office refused to do so, saying the request was not within its mandate.

Supt. Taverner is due to start the job on Dec. 17.

A lawyer acting for deputy Commissioner Blair said he hopes to bring the matter to court as quickly as possible, meaning that it could be heard in January or February.

"My instructions are, at all costs, to take the steps that Commissioner Blair, in his mind and heart, thinks appropriate to protect and ensure the credibility of the OPP,” Julian Falconer told reporters.

The legal bid is the latest chapter in a remarkable fight that has emerged for control of Canada’s second-largest police force, a sprawling organization that employs more than 8,000 serving officers and civilians across Ontario.

The Conservative government announced its pick of Supt. Taverner as OPP Commissioner on Nov. 29.

Critics immediately questioned the appointment, seizing on the 72-year-old mid-level police commander’s close ties to the Ford family, and his nearly two decades as a unit commander overseeing the policing of the Fords' political powerbase in the west Toronto area of Etobicoke. Yet, Mr. Ford and his cabinet maintain that it was an arms-length, independent panel that recommended Supt. Taverner.

Deputy Commissioner Blair, a 32-year career provincial-police officer, had been the perceived front-runner candidate, and has headed the force on an interim basis for about a month.

In his Dec. 11 letter to the ombudsman, the deputy commissioner alleged Mr. Ford and his chief of staff, Dean French, had politicized the process behind the scenes, and that the Ombudsman needed to investigate matters to maintain public confidence in the OPP.

The court application says that the watchdog wrote deputy Commissioner Blair back to say his request “fell outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.”

The application argues that the Ombudsman’s mandate “is clearly inclusive of any such decision, recommendation, act, or omission, that was made or done as a result of inappropriate political influence or cronyism, including interference by a member of the executive and/or their staff.”

It adds that “this is a serious matter as the independence of the OPP – a body that can be called in to investigate provincial politicians – must be seen as legitimate in the eyes of the citizenry."

Attempts to reach Supt. Taverner, who resigned from the Toronto Police Service on Friday, were unsuccessful.

A spokeswoman for the Ombudsman’s office did not respond to a request for comment. The Premier’s office reiterated an earlier statement in which Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones said the government stands by its hiring process.

Mr. Falconer told reporters his client is seeking to raise questions about the potential for inappropriate proximity between government and the OPP. That includes whether “there’s an effort to convert the OPP into some kind of private police service for a political agenda,” he said.

“These are the concerns raised that it is hoped that a full independent investigation can yield,” he said.

Earlier this week, former RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson told The Globe and Mail there are “reasonable concerns” about the appointment of Supt. Taverner. He echoed calls for an independent inquiry to preserve the integrity of the force.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/ ... pointment/

[Michael Jack]

Tabatha Southey: Ontario's premier has hired a close family friend to run the OPP and doled out millions to a big client of Deco Labels. We sense a trend.

The appointment of close Ford family friend Ron Taverner to the top position in the Ontario Provincial Police didn’t exactly leave anyone who follows Toronto politics reeling. The process by which Taverner was selected looks as shady as a crooked three-dollar bill tucked under an oak tree in the Greenbelt that Doug Ford absolutely promised he was not going to open up for development, and how’s that going?

But Ontario, after all, elected Doug Ford, a one-term city councilor who Toronto’s integrity commissioner found had broken city council’s code of conduct by using his influence as a councillor to benefit two companies, both of which had long-standing business relationships with Deco Labels. Deco is—wait for it—owned by the Ford family. Taverner is to start the job on Dec. 17, it might as well have a bow on it, and this is the kind of familial shenanigans, and now drama, the province signed up for.

Nepotism is nothing new, of course, but Taverner’s appointment feels very much on trend. In general there is a politics afoot just now that doesn’t even attempt to make the argument that, “Trust me, this is the right thing to do,” relying more on a kind of bilateral knavery. This is politics with a shrug, and an “Oh, come on, you’d do the same too if you had the chance,” and so forget ethics, even optics are irrelevant.

Who is to say why $34.5 million in provincial funds was doled out to Maple Leaf Foods in aid of a new $660-million poultry-processing plant in London, Ont., in late November? Yes, that would be the same Maple Leaf Foods that has long been a client of none other than Deco Labels, and it is “the largest investment in food processing ever in Canada,” as Ford himself said.

None of which is to say the allocation of funds is necessarily untoward or a bad idea. The federal government ponied up $20 million as well, but the question, “Which came first, the chicken processing plant or the label on the chicken?” does come to mind.

On Tuesday acting OPP commissioner Brad Blair, who has hired a lawyer and seems to mean business, requested that Ontario ombudsman Paul Dubé investigate Taverner’s hiring, which Ford insists he had nothing to do with and we are asked to believe was the the perfectly correct outcome of some kind of tea party, a three-person panel that included Taverner’s and his former boss.

Officers within the OPP have raised concerns that the process that appointed the new head was improper and that this might undermine the integrity on the force. “If the hiring process remains enveloped in questions of political interference” wrote Blair, “the result will be irreparable damage to police independence…”

Taverner has never held a high-ranking position within the OPP or headed a police force, and it seems there may be members of the OPP who are apprehensive about the appearance, real or illusory, that the premier of the province has acquired a set of handy pocket police.

Blair also alleges that Dean French, Ford’s chief of staff, asked that police buy “a large camper-type vehicle” and customize it for the premier to tool around in, and that the cost of the camper be “kept off the books.”

Many, understandably, look forward to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario’s “If the Van’s a Rockin’ Don’t Come a Knockin’ ” 2022 campaign.

The Toronto Sun‘s Joe Warmington blustered in a column, “Some OPP officers are reaching out to offer support for Taverner, a 50-year member of the Toronto Police. ‘I told the premier today the reason they don’t want Taverner there is because he will change the fiefdom that is already in place,’ said an officer.”

Another officer was “dumbfounded” about the controversy since as a rank-and-file officer he “heard nothing but good things about Taverner.” To hear Warmington tell it, no one should even bother calling the OPP just now. They’re just too busy non-stop baking cakes for the man who will rise several ranks from his position of friendly local police commander in Ford’s Etobicoke neighbourhood to be head of a police force second in size to only the RCMP, and their new boss.

They’re working on a musical number for the Baroness.

Curiously, an earlier version of the column quoted none other than, we’re assured, the entirely independent Taverner himself, defending the vehicle purchase—the details of which he seemed peculiarly familiar with. “ ‘I am told it’s not a camper van but an extended-size van,’ Taverner told the Sun,” the article read, for a time. “He’s a big guy and it would have more room for he and his team to work while on the road.”

A somewhat later version of the column, which the Sun noted was edited at 6:59 p.m. the day it was posted, ever so discreetly removes this, potentially damaging to the soon-to-be commissioner, bit of quotation. This particular defence is left up to a mere “staffer” quoted as saying pretty much what the vanished Taverner had said. “He’s on the road for hours at a time and as a big guy was looking for some more room to be able to meet with his staff or be able to change his shirt in privacy before going into a venue.”

It appears that the selected head of the OPP was swapped out for a “staffer.” Or is it six of one, half a dozen of the other these days? Will Ford next announce that the hiring process in the future will be streamlined so that all key positions in the province will be filled by “Some buddies of mine, why you gotta be so nosy?”

Will the qualifications for all positions be lowered to better accommodate Ford’s affections?

Will anyone care as long as those “Open For Business” signs Ford had put up remain along Ontario’s border as part of the Ford government’s apparent mission to rebrand the province as “Ontario, the outlet mall of provinces”?

I think we have the answer to the question “How bad can a Doug Ford government be?” And it’s “How much time do you have?”

https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/doug-fo ... -business/

[Michael Jack]

Broadcast news is reporting the premier's office is delaying the appointment of Ron Taverner as the next commissioner of the OPP, until an investigation into political interference can be completed.

In his place, deputy commissioner Gary Couture will be leading the police service. Acting commissioner Bill Blair asked the courts Friday, to determine if the ombudsman's office has jurisdiction in the matter.

Taverner is a long-time friend of the Ford family. He was to be appointed Monday.

Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath of the NDP said Friday in a media release, "It’s clear that Commissioner (Bill) Blair has recognized an injustice, and committed himself to correcting it so the people of Ontario can continue to have full confidence in the provincial police force."

"I fully support his decision to pursue legal means to ensure that there is a proper investigation into Doug Ford’s appointment of Ron Taverner as OPP Commissioner. The NDP is continuing to pursue all possible avenues to ensure this disturbing case of potential political interference by Doug Ford is investigated, and that Mr. Taverner does not take command of the OPP on Monday,” Horwath continued.

The minister responsible, Sylvia Jones, said in a statement that the government has ``full confidence'' in Taverner, but will respect his wishes until the integrity commissioner has conducted the review.

https://www.drydennow.com/local/taverne ... nt-on-hold

[Michael Jack]

TORONTO -- The man selected to become the next Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner has rescinded his resignation from the Toronto police force and will return to his old job.

Supt. Ron Taverner, a longtime friend of Premier Doug Ford, will return to his role as unit commander of three divisions in the city's northwest end, Toronto police spokeswoman Meaghan Gray said Monday.

"He requested that this resignation be rescinded this weekend," Gray said. "It was reviewed and approved by the chief last night and he's back being unit commander of those divisions effective this morning."

Gray said Taverner, 72, had officially resigned Saturday.

"He was only absent 24 hours," Gray said.

The Ontario government said over the weekend that Taverner requested his appointment to the OPP's top job be delayed until an investigation into allegations of political interference in the hiring process was complete.

The choice of Taverner as the province's top cop has drawn ire from within the OPP and from Ford's political opponents, who noted that the qualifications required for the position had been lowered, allowing the premier's longtime ally to qualify.

The Progressive Conservatives have repeatedly denied that the premier's office had anything to do with Taverner's hiring.

Gray said she didn't know Taverner's long-term plans, but said he was back at work with the Toronto force.

Former acting OPP commissioner Brad Blair has asked the courts to order Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube to investigate Taverner's hiring, after the ombudsman declined his request to carry out the probe.

Blair's lawyer, Julian Falconer, said the ombudsman won't investigate because he believes the matter is out of his jurisdiction since the hiring was ultimately a decision made by cabinet.

Falconer said Blair will be replaced at the helm of the OPP by Gary Couture, who is currently the force's deputy commissioner.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/next-opp- ... -1.4221002

https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/next-opp-comm ... -1.4221004

[Michael Jack]

The controversial appointment of Ron Taverner as OPP commissioner was cast into further doubt Monday as he abruptly rescinded his resignation as superintendent of three Toronto police divisions in Etobicoke.

"He'll be back in his role as unit commander," Toronto police spokeswoman Caroline de Kloet told the Star.

The move followed a whirlwind weekend that saw the 72-year-old Taverner resign from Toronto police Friday. Then, on Saturday, he asked that his Monday swearing in as Ontario Provincial Police chief be "postponed" until the independent provincial integrity commissioner can review the hiring process.

It included a lowering of qualification that cleared the way for Taverner, a longtime friend of Premier Doug Ford and his family in charge of three divisions in Ford's home turf of Etobicoke, to apply for the $275,000-a-year post.

The appointment created a political firestorm around Ford's six-month-old Progressive Conservative government.

A chorus of critics — including opposition parties, former RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson and former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis — said it is dangerous to have a friend of the premier in the role of Ontario's top cop, setting the stage for troublesome conflicts of interest if the government becomes the subject of any police investigations.

"If Mr. Taverner is now looking to have his old job back because he's suspecting that his appointment will be scuttled, that's a decision that he's made," NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Monday as MPPs returned to the legislature for debate on legislation to prevent a strike by unionized workers at Ontario Power Generation.

"This entire situation should never have started in the first place. And it's because Mr. Ford needs to understand he can't just get away with doing whatever he wants to do. We have a democracy here," Horwath added.

"Hopefully Mr. Ford's learned something in this process. Mr. Taverner, hopefully, has learned something as well."

Taverner has not replied to a request for comment from the Star but said Saturday he was temporarily stepping aside "out of the greatest respect for the brave men and women of the Ontario Provincial Police." The government agreed to the request and noted it retains "full confidence" in him.

A spokesman for the premier's office would not comment on Taverner's rescinded Toronto police resignation, saying the government stands by its Saturday statement affirming its faith in the veteran officer.

Career police officers with a higher rank than Taverner were rejected in favour of him, including a former Ontario head of the RCMP with more experience in managing a large staff, confirmed one source from the OPP, the country's second largest police force.

The New Democrats are calling for the government to appoint a select committee of MPPs, with equal numbers of government and opposition MPPs, to investigate the Taverner hiring process with powers to subpoena witnesses and compel documents in full view of the public.

She contrasted that with a review of the concerns surrounding Taverner's hiring by integrity commissioner J. David Wake, which will be conducted in private with only a final report being made public.

"We want to see every single avenue explored," Horwath said.

While such a committee would be similar to one created to investigate the gas plants scandal under a previous Liberal administration, that was established in a minority government where opposition parties had more control. It's unlikely Ford, with his majority, would agree to such a committee.

Both Ford and Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones have accused critics of slinging mud at Taverner.

https://www.thespec.com/news-story/9086 ... signation/

https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark ... ation.html

[Michael Jack]

The odds are against Toronto police veteran Ron Taverner ever being able to effectively lead the OPP because controversy over his friendship with Premier Doug Ford has done irreversible damage, policing experts say.

Concerns about potential conflicts of interest will always linger, several law enforcement sources said Sunday.

“You’re not doing any favours putting him in that job,” former RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson told the Star, echoing remarks from others in the field.

“I don’t see how this can be fixed,” said a retired senior police executive who requested anonymity to speak freely.

“If there’s any perception of a linkage like the pictures of him arm-in-arm with Premier Ford, how is the public ever going to have confidence?”

The warnings came a day after Taverner asked for his Monday swearing-in to be “postponed” until Ontario’s integrity commissioner can review the hiring process, which included a lowering of qualifications that cleared the way for the 72-year-old superintendent from the Ford family’s Etobicoke stomping grounds to apply for the $275,000-a-year post.

Taverner could not be reached for comment but said Saturday he was temporarily stepping aside “out of the greatest respect for the brave men and women of the Ontario Provincial Police.” The government agreed to the request and noted it retains “full confidence” in him.

Should the appointment proceed, “he’s going to have trouble, subject to the members of the OPP looking over his shoulders wondering about every inquiry he might make,” Paulson predicted.

One potential pitfall cited is a situation like the Ontario Provincial Police criminal investigation into deleted documents from the gas plants scandal during the government of former Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty.

That probe led to criminal charges against McGuinty’s former chief-of-staff David Livingston, who was convicted a year ago and sentenced to four months in jail. He is free on his own recognizance pending an appeal. McGuinty was not under investigation and co-operated with police.

While that probe conducted after a complaint from Progressive Conservative MPP Vic Fedeli — now Ford’s finance minister — was high-profile and widely reported in the media, it is not unusual to have lower-key investigations into government, politicians, bureaucrats or agencies that do not make headlines, said the retired senior police executive who recalls as many as 10 such probes in the last decade.

“Every investigation of the government is going to be tarred.”

Paulson said he kept a close eye on “risky” files as the top Mountie and for Taverner to do the same could raise suspicions.

“People will be wondering why the commissioner wants to know what he wants to know, which he’s quite entitled to know because he’s got to run the force. It just sounds like a mess,” Paulson added in a telephone interview from Ottawa.

He noted the “lions share” of his job was managing the RCMP’s relationship with the federal government while maintaining proper boundaries for both sides.

“There’s investigations into the government, into the bureaucracy or into departments, things that if they’re not the government that the government would surely want to know and be able to manage,” Paulson said.

“The government knowing about things in advance is not a good idea, particularly in those kinds of investigations. Because then you get into all sorts of shenanigans of tainting evidence and tainting your investigation.”

Michael Armstrong, who was chief superintendent of the OPP’s organized crime division until retiring in 2014, said the challenge for Taverner is overcoming what is widely seen as a flawed interview process that has left him a target.

“One thing I took out of being in a leadership position is people want to look up to you. Don’t be somebody that they’re making jokes about. They want you to be the person they can look up to and aspire to be.”

Career police officers with higher rank than Taverner were rejected in favour of him, including a former Ontario head of the RCMP with more experience in managing a large staff, confirmed one source from the OPP, the country’s second largest police force.

“From the angle of why was this decision made, you question it,” said Armstrong. “There’s two things they’re saying – the talent isn’t there in the organization to lead it, or this guy is so great that they’ve stepped over the organization.”

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said controversy will continue to swirl around the Ford government as MPPs return from a Christmas break that began Dec. 6 to debate legislation to prevent a strike by unionized workers at Ontario Power Generation.

The premier will face pointed queries from opposition parties during question periods on Tuesday, Wednesday and likely Thursday, with the New Democrats pushing for an “emergency select committee” of MPPs investigate the hiring and Liberals requesting a retired judge be appointed to lead an independent inquiry.

“Whatever happens now has to instill confidence – not just in the hiring process, but the interaction of the premier’s office and police forces because that’s in question right now, too,” said Fraser.

https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark ... s-say.html

[Michael Jack]

There’s a simple solution to the unnecessary mess surrounding the selection of a new commissioner for Ontario’s provincial police force. Ron Taverner, the 72-year-old career cop who was awarded the job out of a large crowd of potential appointees, should step aside and let a search committee pick someone else.

Taverner took the first step in that direction on the weekend when he asked that his first day on the job — which would have been Monday — be postponed until an investigation into his hiring could take place.

“Out of the greatest of respect for the brave men and women of the Ontario Provincial Police, I am requesting my appointment as commissioner be postponed until as such time the integrity commissioner has completed his review,” he wrote in an email to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones.

Though by all accounts a capable police officer, the charge against Taverner is that he got the job because he’s a pal of Premier Doug Ford. There were 27 candidates for OPP commissioner, considered the top police position in the province. Taverner initially didn’t qualify for the job, but once the requirements were lowered he was able to apply and was unanimously selected by a three-member panel. Ford insisted he had “zero influence” on the choice and would have accepted whoever was chosen. He said the search firm asked for the change in job requirements, not him. The fact Taverner was a family friend and spent two decades as a senior officer in the Ford’s Etobicoke neighbourhood had nothing to do with it, he insisted.

“I can’t influence and tell the police what to do,” he said.

That’s just the problem and the root of the suspicions aroused by Taverner’s appointment. The premier may not be able to tell any old OPP commissioner how to run his shop, but with an old friend at the top of the force, he might not have to. Plenty of reasons have been offered as to why it’s a bad idea having the top politician and the top cop as longtime buddies; heading the list is the fact the police sometimes have to investigate politicians who get into questionable shenanigans. If you want to completely undermine public confidence in the credibility and objectivity of the police, turning them into a political pawn is one of the best and quickest roads to success.

Ford seems oblivious to this, just as he’s been resistant to good sense in a number of previous matters. His determination to dictate policy to Hydro One caused the collapse of a $6.7 billion takeover of a U.S. power firm, triggering a termination fee topping $100 million. His decision to scrap a French-language university, while justifiable, was handled so artlessly the backlash forced the government into an embarrassing retreat. His slashing of Toronto’s city council while the municipal campaign was already underway — once again not a bad idea — succeeded mainly in getting him branded a vengeful bully, feeding a fast-developing grudge between city and province.

If past performance is any indication, the premier’s approach to the Taverner situation will be to dig in and defy anyone to make him budge. That’s why it’s necessary for more conscientious minds to take the initiative. Taverner would have done well to remove himself from the debate once it became obvious his choice as commissioner would prove so divisive. Although he had already resigned his post in Etobicoke, he rescinded the resignation Monday and will return to his old job while the inquiry proceeds.

But the pressure only continues to mount. Two former OPP commissioners have now raised questions about Taverner’s appointment. Chris Lewis, who headed the force for four years, noted that Taverner had never run an organization anywhere near the size of the provincial body, and was selected over far more experienced senior officers. Interim commissioner Brad Blair, who was to step aside for the new boss, asked Ontario’s ombudsman to investigate whether the appointment was politically motivated. When the ombudsman’s office rejected the request, claiming it was outside its jurisdiction, Blair went to court Friday seeking an order forcing the investigation.

The high-level squabbling has been a gift to the opposition New Democratic Party, which can now hold itself up as the champion of police independence and integrity against a government intent on interference at every level: ordering around Toronto council, manhandling Hydro One and putting the premier’s personal choice at the head of Canada’s second the largest police force (after the RCMP).

“Mr. Taverner’s appointment cannot go ahead under this cloud of suspicion,” intoned NDP leader Andrea Horwath. “The independence of police forces is fundamental to the health of our democracy.”

With Taverner on hold and Blair out of the picture, relieved by Ford’s cabinet, the OPP will now be headed by a temporary replacement, Deputy Commissioner Gary Couture, who becomes the fourth man named to hold the reins since the retirement of Vince Hawkes in November.

It’s entirely possible that Ford is being truthful, and that he had no direct input into Taverner’s selection. Unfortunately, his performance so far as premier makes it difficult to give him the benefit of the doubt, and his penchant for attacking questioners as enemies only adds to the impression of a man with something to hide. Ford is proving to be his own worst enemy, which adds to the need for others to protect him from his worst instincts. Taverner could do that, and perform a valuable service both to his friend and the integrity of the OPP by stepping aside and letting the process start over with a slate of candidates clearly independent of the premier and his office.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/kelly- ... this-cloud